Note: This chapter took longer to write because I rewrote it twice. Well this is an important spoiler-filled chapter, so I wanted to be as near-perfect as possible.


Life and Death
She was ... alive?

Though she felt like she'd been shot out a cannon she was indeed alive, but where? It appeared to be a cave ... underwater. As soon as she sat up her clothing started to ride up from the nonexistent gravity.

" You are awake now. "

Hannah shoved her hands over her skirt to keep it down, but to her relief if was a female voice. On cue an Aisha floated into her view. A very unusual Aisha: teal scales covered her body and silver hair flowed down her shoulders. She wore an arrangement of strange white and blue robes that nearly covered the bulge of her stomach. The clothing she wore suggested she was some sort of priest but she wasn't about to pry into the woman's business.

The creature moved towards Hannah and felt her forehead. " You've adjusted to the water pressure well. Fever's gone. " She noted before lifting up her right arm. " Healing finely... Starting to pull up her sleeve. " Except for this mark up here. "

" Please! " Hannah pulled her hand away. " Lady, I should be drowning in water. I should be dead, or maybe I'm already de- "

The Aisha put her finger over Hannah's mouth. " Let me explain. I am Rin, a Maraquan. " With her other hand she reached for a ring of seaweed around her neck to show her. " This necklace is blessed and allows land dwellers to survive underwater. It was an ancient spell that my family held close to our hearts. "

Hannah looked at the pain on her face as she spoke and frowned. " Thank you for saving me, Rin, but why did you do it? I hear stories about the Maraquans. They don't like surface dwellers. "

" The blame lies with our former King. " Rin started as she went to gather something. " The King was very strict with his people and didn't want to bow his head to anyone. He thinks that Maraquans are better than any other race out there, and don't need to mix with them. Because of his attitude we lost our home, all of us! "

Though she spoke the words in anger the Aisha's voice didn't go above a hushed whisper. " After the whirlpool the King came back to the ruins in search of survivors to take to his new Kingdom. Most went along with him willingly because they knew not what else to do, but a group of us stayed behind to make our own life out here. We are better off out here than in that Kingdom prison. The King wanted nothing of that, though. He started to call out Outsiders: traitors his Kingdom. Every month he'd rush the ruins in search out Outsiders to capture and take to his Kingdom, where they'd stay in the dungeons until they were loyal to hi- "

Someone was moving out near the front of the cave. " Hide. " Hannah hid behind the clam shell bed as the Aisha opened the door, revealing a male Maraquan Uni. " Stryker, good morning. "

" What's so good about it? " He snorted. " Just came to tell you a group of us Outsiders are about to migrate to a reef near Mystery Island. We'll be leaving as the sun sets, but you don't care. Even if you did you couldn't make the trip in your condition. "

Rin glared at him. " Thanks for being so understanding. " Then she turned her tail and swam back into the heart of the cave.

" Who the hell was that? " Hannah pulled herself back onto the bed.

" Former General Stryker, under the King's army. " Rin spat as she sat down on the other side of the bed. " Years ago we were promised to each other in a political marriage, but I never loved him. He made sure the man I loved would never see his child... " There were tears in her eyes.

Hannah leaned over and wiped them away. " I'm so sorry, Rin. I shouldn't have asked you that. "

Rin sniffled. " It is quite all right. " Closing her eyes to try to clear her head of the memories, she thought it best to change the subject completely. " You asked why I saved you, correct? " She continued once she got confirmation. " You wouldn't believe me if I told you. "

Now she peaked Hannah's curiosity. " What do you mean? "

" I'm just saying even if I told you, you would not believe me. " Rin laughed, then noticed the serious expression on Hannah's face. " If you must know ... I have seen you before in my dreams. You, your boyfriend, your little Bori friend, your son ... "

Hannah's eyes grew wide. " I don't have a son! "

Rin blinked. " You don't? " There was a bit of awkward silence before she laughed. " Ooops! "

" What do you mean 'ooops'? "

" I mean don't pay attention to that part! "

Rin's laughing grew louder as Hannah tried to get the real reasons behind her words. Was the really a seer or just some creature who wanted to mess with her mind? Only the Maraquan knew for sure, and she certainly wasn't telling Hannah! Suddenly though a sharp pain caused her to yelp out. " AHH! " Rin suddenly didn't have the strength to tread water, and was laying on the bed.

Hannah wasn't quite sure what was going on, but by the pained look on Rin's face it appeared that whatever was floating in the Maraquan's stomach was ready to come out. " There's a ... bottle of green liquid on the shelf. Gather it and some towels from the chest in the corner. " Rin instructed as she pulled her body back on the bed. She knew well what was going on...


Close to the Outsider's camp General Stryker was meeting with a group from Maraquan. They handed him a few gold coins in exchange for the information he was about to give them. " They are heading to Mystery Island tonight, so won't expect anything now. " As the King's Guards nodded his ears folded back. " Don't forget our agreement. You can do whatever you please to the others, but don't hurt Rin. "

A Flotsam who's ornaments told was the group's leader spoke. " We follow the orders of our King, not a foul creature such as yourself! Guards! " Two Jetsam came behind Stryker to grab his arms. " Take to the wagon. The others are in position to rush the camp. I don't want a single one of them to escape. "

Gasping in surprise Stryker tried to fight against his captors. " We had a deal! " He screamed as they took him towards the Maractrice enforced cart down below. " You can't do this to ME! " He snarled as he broke away from one of the Jetsam. With his momentum he slapped the other Jetsam in the face with his tail fin.

As the guards floated stunned in the water Stryker made his way through the coral in an attempt to hide himself. Burying himself under sand and rock he tried to make himself invisible as the others hovered overhead. Eventually the shadows left the area, which meant they were about to attack the camp!

" I have to get Rin. " He panicked while clawing his way out of the corral. " By the faeries, I didn't want this to happen. "


After a brief explanation Hannah was more than happy to help Rin through the child bearing process. Birthing by Maraquans was a lot cleaner than that of land dwellers, and all she had to do was catch. " Come on, Rin. " She coached as she smoothed a hand over her belly. " One more push should do it. "

The Maraquan whimpered as she began to push again. Closing her eyes she could no longer see her process, but she could feel it. A great weight was lifted as she pushed so she strained herself to continue as long as she could.

Then she heard the yell of a small creature. " A girl ... I think. " Hannah couldn't tell for obvious reasons.

Rin opened her eyes and saw an Aisha that looked just like her, but darker. Metallic silver hair with streaks of blue flowed down her shoulders to stop at mid back, and dark sky blue scales covered her body. Her lips were outlined with a deeper blue than her scales, a color that matched her father's pelt. Wrapping the child in a blanket, she began to reach out for it ...

Then her contractions started again. " Something's not right ... " This set felt much different than the ones before it. Much more painful. " Hannah, something's wrong. "

The Usul looked back at her alarmed. " What do you mean something's wrong? "

Gasping for air Rin's eyes took on a faint glow. She was having an alarming vision;

Brothers and Sisters were being killed by what was one their own. Thousands of Maraquans rushing down from the hills, descending on their tiny village. Nets would be thrown over friends, family, child. Those who tried to run were speared and tied up. Their bleeding would attract the Chasm Beast. All of them would...

" My children. " Rin whimpered as Hannah pushed her back on the bed. " You must save my children. " She said weakly. " The guards ... " Another contraction caused her to wince. " Hannah, in the chest is a dagger. "

Hannah was confused. " Rin? I don't understand... "

The Maraquan weakly pointed over to the chest in the corner. " There isn't any time ... I'm so tired, Hannah. "

Finally she got what Rin was trying to say. " I can't! " She cried as she went back to Rin's side. " Come on Rin. If something's going to happen than we can get this other kid out of you and get out of here! "

The Aisha shook her head. " Please, Hannah. Listen to me. " Her eyes softened, as if she accepted what was about to happen already. " I knew this day would come. That this would happen, which is why I needed you ... To save my children. "

She looked down at the dark Aisha who was curled up in the towel Hannah placed her in. " My first born is Caylis, Maraquan for dusk. My second born is Isca, Maraquan for dawn. Take the knife and save Isca, then leave this place immediately. " Her breathing started to increase again. " Outside of the city you'll find Stryker, the Uni who was here earlier. Tell him that Rin is dead, then give him my children. He knows of my visions, he'll know what to do. "

Hannah's eyes started to tear from what she was hearing. She couldn't ... " Afterwards leave this place and head as far north as you can. You will find what you're looking for there. " Rin finished her instructions and waited for Hannah to take everything in.

The look in the Maraquan's eyes said it all. Hannah left the bedside to retrieve the dagger, gripping it's handle with a shaking hand. She came back to the bed and looked down on the Aisha. A trail of tears started as she lifted the woman's shirt just enough to see the stomach.

" I'm so sorry ... "

She sobbed as she pressed the knife down into her belly just enough to piece her, causing the woman to scream. Hannah knew how to work a knife thankfully so she could make a hole big enough to retrieve the child without harming it. A cloud of red blurred her vision, but after searching she could hear another frightened cry fill the air. Reaching in she pulled out another female Aisha who looked like a miniature version of Rin...

" Go ... " Rin breathed what could be her last breath, Hannah would never know.

Not wanting to waste time, or stay and watch the sight of her dying friend any longer, Hannah gathered the children and swam out of the cave. It would seem that she was just in time. As she left the cave there was a scream on the other side of the village. Instinct urged her to help these poor people, but her mind screamed for her to get out of the area. She couldn't swim nearly as fast as she could with both arms free, but she was still fast enough to evade the guards that crossed her path. Behind her a scene of carnage was happening, but she couldn't dare look back...

Beyond the next set of rocks she saw a frantic male Uni swimming towards the village. " Stryker! " The Uni's eyes grew as large as saucers when the surface dweller called. " Rin sent me to find you. "

" Rin! " Stryker tried to swim past Hannah. " I have to save Rin! "

Shifting the children under the same arm with little difficulty (comes with being a barmaid, I guess) she grabbed the Uni's tail. " Stryker. " Hannah started with a heavy heart. " Rin is dead. All of those people down in the village are going to die too. You can't go down there. "

Stryker spun around to look at Hannah shocked, then noticed the two Aisha she was holding in her arms. Memories of the final dark visions Rin shared with her weeks ago filled his mind again. He thought by taking Rin to New Maraqua he could stop these visions. He was a fool! A damned fool! His eyes began to burn as he looked at the children, shame starting to consume him. " I killed her. " Stryker swallowed his own words. " I killed Rin. I did this to her. How could I do this to someone I loved... "

Beyond the voice of reason Stryker pulled himself from Hannah's grip and flew down into the village. " RIN! " He screeched as he disappeared from her view.

By Jhudora... She cursed looking down at the Maraquan children. These two no longer had a caretaker, and she couldn't possibly look after them. As the children slept soundly Hannah was wide awake and aware of what was happening. " Don't worry. " A half hearted promise as she found a small gathering of plants they could rest in. Settling down in the sand she leaned Isca and Caylis against her body for warmth.

The twins should sleep peacefully tonight, as no one could predict what would happen tomorrow.


This was a rather sad chapter to write. I wanted to make it a lot longer than that but I really have to go to bed. Read and review, as always. Goodnight.